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Monday, January 28, 2013

Did you know that quinoa can be stir fried with veggies and seasonings to create a healthy variation on fried rice, a go-to bento favorite? Today I made "fried quinoa" by sauteing ginger, kale and yellow pepper in a hot frying pan and adding cooked red quinoa, Japanese pickled eggplant, and tamari. I scrambled in an egg for protein and it was a satisfying lunch, especially finished with solar-sweet orange pieces.

We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary with a very fun trip to San Francisco, staying roughly across from the Ferry Building at a hotel overlooking the Bay Bridge...some images from our visit:

The Ferry Building, filled with epicurean foods and site of a wonderful farmer's market...

Local dungeness crabs and pretty mosaics

A lyrical ode to sea creatures outside Alioto's

I love the Dolce Vita meets early 60's Americana feel of the old Italian restaurants...

At the Musee Mechanique, an interactive landscape of dreams and symbols from its collection of arcade games and amusements, 19th century onwards. Fortunes told, circa 1930:

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Hi there! Monday's bento features a spicy Thai curry tucked into a golden pepper, sugar snap peas, and baby carrots, cress and tender lettuce from my garden. I was so delighted a couple of days ago to notice the tiny hot pink hearts dangling delicately from this dicentra, planted as a bareroot two months ago. I was not expecting bloom until March or April! Learning the new calendar of growth here in Northern California is full of sweet surprises like this...

King's Nursery, just a few blocks from my house, was alive with color in the middle of January:

one yellow bell pepper, one half orange bell pepper, both seeded and chopped

one half large red onion

one tin Maesri Massaman curry paste

one can coconut milk

In one saute pan, saute onion and garlic over a gentle flame until aromatic, add shallot and peppers. Cook, turning, until peppers are glossy and tender. In another pan, saute beef, salt and pepper until sizzling and lightly browned. Add all of curry paste and stir well to blend with beef, and then potatoes. Add peppers mixture, cook together a couple of minutes, then pour in coconut milk. Simmer for about ten minutes, taste and correct seasonings. I added cayenne for extra heat!

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Are you also feeling the urge to return to a lighter way of eating after recent, indulgent holiday repasts? In that spirit, today's bento was simple and refreshing, with wild salmon. garden greens, yellow tomatoes, a kiwi "cherry blossom" and the tiniest carrots I've ever seen, plucked from the garden. I'm seeing that that growing our own veggies is a fantastic way to get tiny, bento-able specimens!

In the little ceramic container, a delicious dressing Jamison made for dressing our New Year's Eve salad. It combines olive oil, balsamic vinegar, orange marmalade and black pepper...it was wonderful over arugula salad and today, over my salmon.

Tiny carrots, "Atomic Red" variety

Sweet pea seedling and shadow

Kitchen still lives, highlighting the bright bounty of the current citrus season...